A shift in play
by Brahma3
Summary: A test story. AU. Someone has a batch of number cards that all the players need. But what happens when the holder of these cards refuses to play their game.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: This is more or less a test story of an idea that's been swimming around my head for some time. I'm not sure if I'll continue this but if I do, I want to let everyone know that if I do, there will be very little, if any, Yugioh game play. It's more of an analysis of what the Yugioh Zexal characters would do if they were to play Magic the Gathering.**

"And with your monster out of the way, Ga Ga Ga Magician will attack your life points directly and finish this dual!" Yuma shouted as his monster made its slash at his opponent reducing his life points from 500 to 0 sending him flying backwards onto his rear. "Allllll right, I won!" Yuma shouted pumping his fist as he jumped into the air. Turning to his floating glowing friend Astral with a look of supreme satisfaction, "I tell ya Astral. It's nice to have a regular dual once and awhile and not have to worry about number cards and stuff."

"Yes, but we do have to be cautious Yuma," Astral said in thought, "It has been awhile since we last run into someone who possessed a number card. It worries me."

"Aw you worry too much Astral. Come on, all this duelling has left me hungry. Lets get some duel fuel for my stomach just in case a number card does show up," Yuma said walking off.

Astral lagging behind, "Perhaps if you remember to eat at regular intervals your stomach wouldn't be empty so often," which earned a typical overreaction from Yuma.

Meanwhile in a lonely alleyway, not quite so lonely. Two people were playing a most unusual game from dual monsters. In fact the one in the dark cloak had just savagely beaten his opponent who collapsed to the ground and began pushing himself backwards in fear.

"Wha-What are you?!" the fallen duelist John asked in a snivelling voice. Fear had completely overwhelmed him. John was the leader of his small, but powerful, gang who were card sharks, using illegal cards and other cheats to get cards that caught their fancy. Lately John felt that they were getting into a rut. It was just too easy snatching cards from stupid and unsuspecting players. Even upping the stakes for both players didn't excite him anymore. He was finally considering playing deck swap duels so he could feel the thrill again when a man in a dark shrouded cloak approached him with a completely new card game called Magic: The Gathering.

At first he was going to blow him off until he offered two duel monster cards that he never seen before. The cloaked mans terms were to play his game, and if he won, he'd get the cards. But if he lost, he'd never play duel monsters again and have to play this new card game as well as force his gang to follow suit. At the time he was so sure that he could win even if he had to play with unfamiliar cards. But now, as the cloaked man walked towards him, with fear in his heart he regretted his decision.

The cloaked man continued walking towards John, each of his steps seemed to make his heart beat louder until he was right in front of him. The cloaked man bent down and reached towards him grabbing his duel monsters deck and stood up, "A deal is a deal John. Since you now have to give up on your favourite game you will have no use for these nor for the reward I offered," he goaded pulling out two number cards," A wicked smile was on his face.

Just then time stopped causing the cloaked man to look up where Kite glided down before landing just behind the frozen figure of John. "I'm going to have to take your number cards," The tone of Kite's voice made it sound more like a command.

The cloaked man just smirked, "You want these?" he asked looking at the cards he still had in mock wonder, "Whatever for?"

Not caring for conversation Kite only shot a beam out which hit the cloaked man's wrist forming into a tether connecting them together. "If you want to leave, you'll have to duel me!"

The man looked at his cuff in bemusement, "Sorry, that's not my game," he said as he put the number cards he held away before pulling out another card. The card had brown backing on it with a lighter coloured brown oval with five different coloured dots. He flipped the card around to show Kit the front. The front had red borders and a picture what looked like the Tin man from wizard of Oz being shattered like a mirror. He gently tapped the card to his binding before saying "Shatter," which caused the line between them to break apart surprising Kite.

"How did you do that? It can only be broken by me or if you win a duel," Kite shouted.

The cloaked man turned and walked away, "If you want those cards then you'll play my game. and if you win then you will receive them. Not before," he said holding up another card that had white borders that glowed as he said, "Disenchant," which caused time to resume.

John, who'd been oblivious, was surprised to see the cloaked man about to leave the alley when the man turned back to look at him, "It seems I will have further use for you and your little gang John." And then he was out of view leaving a confused but weary John and a stewing Kite.

The sudden stop of time had not gone unnoticed. Yuma and Astral had noticed quite obviously how the world stopped. Birds hanging motionless in midair, a random boy was in mid Olly on his skateboard and other things. Yuma turned to Astral who nodded, "Kite is nearby, hurry Yuma. Or else he will claim another number card."

"And someone's soul," Yuma added running off after Astral.

Just before they reached the area where Astral sensed Kite was, time resumed. Yuma then saw a tall figure in a dark cloak leaving the alley. "Hey you," Yuma called out "Who are you? Did you fight Kite? Are you ok?"

The man looked at Yuma and shrugged, "Kite, or whoever he is, wanted these cards," he said holding up the number cards.

Yuma stopped dead in his tracks, "Astral, those are..."

"Number cards. Number 3 and number 13," Astral confirmed.

"I don't suppose you want to hand those over?" Yuma asked.

The man sighed, "I will tell you what, if you defeat me in a card fight I will give you these cards without question. I also have a few others from other people I played against which you can have if you beat me," he said with an unfriendly smile.

The look in the man's eyes unnerved Yuma but he refused to show it. "Alright then, lets dual," Yuma shouted as he prepped his duel disk and gazer. As he began to slide his deck into his duel disk the man stopped him.

"Stop, I have no interest in playing that game," he said tiredly.

"If I can't duel you then how am I supposed to defeat you?" Yuma asked.

"You will have to play my game," the man said.

"And what game is the?"

"Magic: the Gathering. I'll give you a week to familiarize yourself with the game before challenging me," the man said as he walked away leaving a perplexed Yuma.

Snapping out of it Yuma turned to Astral, "Hey Astral, do you know anything about this game?"

"No, I do not. This worries me Yuma."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey you!" shouted Yuma, "Why can't you duel me the regular way?"

The cloaked man spun around holding the number cards between his hands, "If you want, I can tear these cards up right now. I have absolutely no interest in this game this whole city seems to have built itself around." He paused to look at the cards, "These cards have something unusual about them. They draw people like a moth to a flame and so far I have used that to my advantage. I am curious about the energy held within them but that's all it is, a passing curiosity. If you want these particular cards back, you will play MY game," he said bluntly, "And that goes for your friend as well," he said as he turned and walked away for a final time.

Yuma turned to his left and saw Kite standing at the alleyway entrance. "Kite," Yuma said looking at the number hunter. Yuma turned back to the cloaked man, "Hey, who are you anyway?" he called after him.

"You can call me Cancer," he said over his shoulder before tossing a small plastic jar that Yuma caught. Looking at the contents he saw several computer chips. "Those should allow you to use magic cards with your duel disk. I will give you a week to get your deck together," he said before disappearing behind the crowd of people.

Yuma turned to Kite, "Who is he Kite?"

Kite just let out a snarl before grabbing the jar from Yuma and fished a chip out of it before tossing it back to him. Before having Orbital fly him away Kite only left a warning, "Those numbers are mine Yuma," and then he was off into the sky.

Later, Yuma was walking with Tori, Bronk, Cathy and Astral looking for a shop that sold these Magic cards.

"So this weird guy comes out of comes out an alleyway with number cards saying he won't give them to you unless you duel with a card game nobody's ever heard of?" asked Bronk.

"Yeah, he even got away from Kite too," Yuma said as they trudged on before grabbing his head in his hands. "Argh! And now I only have a week to learn this new game and beat him before I can get the number cards back." His shoulders slumped, "And I don't even know where to find a shop so I can get a deck together," he whined.

"Does Astral know how to play this game Yuma?" Tori asked.

Yuma's head drooped even more, "No, I already asked him and he doesn't know anything either," he said looking up at his floating companion who was still deep in thought. "This is so annoying! We've been all over town and nobody's heard of these cards, so how can I find a shop to buy them when no one's heard of them?"

Just then, a clowder (group) of cats came up to them. Cathy knelt down, "Did you find anything?" The cats responded with a chorus of meows. Finally Cathy stood up with a smile on her face. "My friends found a shop that sells these Magic cards. If we follow them, they will lead us to it," she said looking straight at Yuma.

"Alllll right! Way to go Cathy!" Yuma shouted while pumping his hand, "Lead the way."

Cathy gave a reply to the cats and they ran off.

Yuma and his friends quickly followed after. Running down crowded walkways and lonely back alleys to a rather remote, out of the way, store with the name "Hidden Gem" above its doors.

"Alright guys," Yuma said rolling up non-existent sleeves, "Lets get in there and stop Cancer and get those numbers!"

Before Tori could stop him Yuma burst through the doors. There were a few people sitting at some small tables that turned around in surprise at Yuma's dramatic entrance.

"I need Magic cards, so where are they?" Yuma asked the bewildered onlookers.

Tori dropped her face in her hand, "Oh Yuma," she muttered in embarrassment. Cathy and Bronk had similar actions.

A middle-aged man approached Yuma, "Can I help you young man?" he queried.

"You bet old man, where can I get some Magic cards," Yuma said with his usual enthusiasm.

The man was obviously ruffled by Yuma's comment lead him to some shelves holding the cards in question. The other kids sitting at the tables had gone back to their games.

Yuma and his friends crowded around the cards looking at booster packs, premade decks and cards displayed in a glass case under the shelves.

"Ooo, they even have cats," Cathy said staring at a card of Raksha Golden Cub in the case.

"But look at these attack and defence points! They're pitiful," Bronk stated.

There was a sharp laugh from the table behind them. As they turned they saw a boy of thirteen and dark short with a sideways grin on his face. "I can't tell you how many times I hear that when I show my cards to you people. The whole city is obsessed with one game and doesn't think there's any other."

"Hey, watch what you're sayin'," cried Bronk.

"Yeah, you can't say that," Yuma agreed.

"Oh really?" the boy replied, "Tell me, how many shops in this city sell your Duel Monsters cards? Better yet, how many on a city block?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Well... There's lots of shops that sell Duel Monsters cards," Yuma admitted.

"Ah-huh," the boy said looking over Yuma's group. "And just how long did it take for you guys to find this little shop? Did you even hear about Magic the Gathering before coming here?"

"I never heard about them before today. Not until a man named "Cancer" showed up with number cards," Yuma started, "He wouldn't give them up unless I played Magic the Gathering with him." Yuma looked down at the floor with clenched fist, "So, that's why I'm here. So I have a week to learn the game and beat him."

"And the only reason you want to play Magic the Gathering is to get more Duel Monsters cards?" the boy asked.

Yuma looked at the floor, "It's true, I do want those cards," he said looking up at Astral, "But that doesn't mean I won't try new things."

The boy stared at Yuma a minute, "If you're willing to actually learn, I could teach you."

"Really?" Yuma asked wide eyed. The boy nodded as he dismissed the opponent sitting across from him. Yuma quickly filled the now empty seat. "Thanks, my name's Yuma, Yuma Tsukumo. And what's your name?"

"It's Gilles, Gilles Degagne," he replied as he began to sort and shuffle his cards.


End file.
